Join us for a deep dive into the health care pressures in BC, featuring expert voices from across sectors.

British Columbia’s health care system is under immense pressure, caught between managing immediate crises and planning for a demographic shift that threatens to overwhelm services in the years to come. Frontline professionals are currently addressing urgent challenges such as the mental health and opioid crisis, outbreaks of previously controlled diseases due to declining vaccination rates, and other lingering pressures on the health care system from the pandemic. Concurrently, they face overwork and burnout within a system that is under pressure. Despite these immediate pressures, long-term planning remains essential to address the anticipated needs of an aging population and increased demand for healthcare services.

This panel brings together leading experts and decision-makers to discuss how BC can balance urgent action with forward-thinking strategy. How can health care professionals, policymakers, academics, and communities work together to stabilize the present while preparing for the future? What policies, investments, and innovations are needed to navigate this complex reality?

Join us for a dynamic and solutions-focused conversation on the future of BC’s health care system in an era of mounting pressure.

Panelists:

• Cynthia Johansen, Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Health

• Catherine Claiter-Larsen, Vice President – Strategy and Chief Information Officer, Island Health

• Dr. Helga Hallgrímsdóttir, Deputy Provost, University of Victoria

Event Details:
🗓 Tuesday, October 28, 2025 | 7:00–9:00 PM (doors open 6:30 PM)
📍 Esquimalt Gorge Park & Pavilion
💲 $20 General | $10 Students & IPAC Members
🍴 Alcohol-free reception included

This event is brought to you by IPAC Victoria and MNP